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DOJ Tells Sanford PD To Hold Zimmerman Evidence

George Zimmerman leaves the courtroom a free man after being found not guilty, on the 25th day of his trial at the Seminole County Criminal Justice Center July 13, 2013 in Sanford, Florida. Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder in the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin. (Photo by Joe Burbank-Pool/Getty Images)

Trayvon Martin

SANFORD (AP) — Police in central Florida say the U.S. Department of Justice has placed a hold on all evidence related to the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Miami teen Trayvon Martin by former neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman.

Sanford Police Capt. James McAuliffe confirmed the hold Thursday. That includes the gun Zimmerman used to shoot Martin, which Zimmerman would otherwise be legally entitled to reclaim.

Zimmerman was acquitted over the weekend of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges in Martin’s death last year. Jurors found that Zimmerman was acting in self-defense when he shot the unarmed black teenager. Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said during an NAACP convention in Orlando this week that the Justice Department has an open investigation into the case. The department is looking into whether Zimmerman violated Martin’s civil rights.